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Myers + Chang in Boston – Dim Sum Review

Lingbo Li — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:09:15 +0000

Myers + Chang in Boston is not a Chinese restaurant.

Yet I frequently hear it compared to one. Chinese food in the US, as Jennifer 8. Lee would say, is the true American cuisine. It has wooed the stomach of millions. Its takeout vessels have become iconic of American culture itself. It is the gateway cuisine to other Asian foods. Myers + Chang (not Meyer’s and Chang) is the post-gateway restaurant.

Asian food has been pigeonholed mostly as… efficient. There are grease-cheap Chinese food joints that seem minted from a humorless factory line. The only ambience in these outposts is the sparkle of a sputtering neon sign. Then there are the cramped Chinatown places that Chowhound loves, serving regional specialties and packing serious heat.

But as in any major market, there’s room for niche players. Myers + Chang in Boston has angled itself as a pan-Asian restaurant with all the trappings of a hip bistro. It’s menu is self-aware, even preciously trendy (Asian chicken and waffles, anyone?). There are gluten-free options. It has the benefit of nimbleness without the issue of catering to the lowest common denominator.

Entrees are around $11-17. The waiters don’t wear those awful black vests. Food arrives on nice plates. My coke had a pink twisty straw and a lime wedge. There’s an open kitchen, a crimson dragon print on the windows, and airy, uncluttered seating. You could take a date here, not spend a ton, but not look cheap.

Some people might complain you can get more “authentic” food for less money in Chinatown.

I would say they’re missing the point. Even though I love the divey food experience, sometimes you just want the rough edges sanded off your Saturday dim sum brunch, you know? I appreciate atmosphere. Sometimes you have to fight for your food in a Chinese restaurant and that makes me cry a little inside. It reminds me too much of being in China.

Plus, those places don’t make things like fried egg banh mi! Myers + Chang does. (I took these photos with my Canon Rebel XS, for those interested in such things.)

I tried a few dishes off their weekend dim sum menu.

You should skip the congee. It is bland and not very good – go get it in Chinatown to experience its full, creamy glory. The fried egg banh mi is like the lovechild of an Egg McMuffin and Vietnam’s most famous sandwich. (Which is itself a fusion of French and local traditions.) It’s tasty, but could be improved with oozy yolk + more pickled carrots and daikon.

Their tea smoked spare ribs are excellent and fatty. You should pick every shred of flesh off the bones, then lick the rest off your fingers.

Grilled corn on the cob with Sriracha butter is juicy and a bit smoky, better than fourth of July. Anything with Sriracha is fine by me. I also tried a special. I don’t remember what it is anymore, sorry. It’s old age.

The coconut pie is a mini pie shell filled with coconut-flavored pudding, topped with cream, then sprinkled with toasted coconut. It’s serviceable, and probably better than any dessert you could ever hope to get at a Chinese takeout joint.

I saw another table with pork belly buns and got really jealous. I was full by that point, but I tried scowling at them. Pork belly buns didn’t magically appear as planned.

What I’d like to try some other time off their dinner menu: their Asian-braised short rib soft tacos on their dinner menu; chicken and waffles; Indonesian fried rice.

Awhile back, they had soft shell crab banh mi. Sad I missed the boat on that one.

I like this place. I think it has its place in the Asian food ecosphere. Keep doing your thing, Myers + Chang.

Deuxave opening in Boston’s Back Bay’s menu, hours

Lingbo Li — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:43:08 +0000

Photo courtesy of CBH Communications

I have been observing Deuxave’s construction on Mass Ave and Commonwealth for months now. I’m frequently found traipsing around Back Bay these days, so an ambitious new neighborhood restaurant is much welcomed.

The food is seasonally inspired new American, with emphasis on sourcing local ingredients, and priced at around $26 an entree. The whole shebang is set to open “around” Labor Day (September 6th) and is the foodbaby of exec chef Chris Coombs (formerly of Ming Tsai’s Blue Ginger; Aujourd’hui; Troquet; and the Food Network’s Chopped) and owner Brian Piccini (of Aquitaine and dbar).

I instinctively kind of like Coombs – he knows to spin his youthfulness to his advantage. How’s that for a PR lesson, college kids?

One thing that perplexes me is their pronunciation. It’s explained as “doo-ave” in their press release. But I remember that in French class, there’d normally be a “z” sound to transition between vowel sounds. So I’d been thinking of it as “duhz-ave.” Any French speaker input?

To see their sample menu, click for the jump.

Deuxave Menu

DEUXAVE APPETIZERS

A Duet of Prime Beef Tartare and Wagyū Carpaccio

herb encrusted wagyū beef, hanley style prime tartare, quail egg yolk, petite arugula, escabèche of chanterelles, potato gaufrettes, cornichons, rosemary-mustard aioli

“Night Moves” Scituate Lobster Gnocchi

with mushrooms, corn, green grapes, potato gnocchi, curried walnuts, & pearl onions with fresh herbs in a citrus fricassee

Crispy Crescent Farms Duck Confit

with petit heirloom tomato & frisee salad with bacon sherry vinaigrette, bing cherry sauce.

DEUXAVE ENTREES

Pan Roasted Atlantic Line Caught Halibut

with sweet corn succotash, chanterelles, peppers, herbs, Okinawa yams, laughing bird shrimp in ginger, espelette, tomato, and burgundy butter sauce

Seared Hawaiian Ahi Tuna

with pink peppercorns crusted big eye, pork belly, pineapple “aigre-doux”, sea beans, summer radish, cucumber, Asian flavors, lobster red curry emulsion and petit flowers

A Vegetarian Celebration of Summer

ragoût of wards farm corn & hand made gnocchi, porcinis, tempura celeries, fried blue aracuna egg, pousse pied & tomato salad, radish, saffron-heirloom tomato coulis and aged balsamic

Moroccan Spiced Colorado Lamb Saddle Pistachio

persillade crusted, persian style tabbouleh, a baby carrots, beets and turnips “en cocotte” minted cucumber raita & roasted red pepper vinaigrette, natural jus

A Duet of Giannone Farms Organic Chicken

crispy skinned roasted breast, and a crépenette of thigh, sautéed chanterelles, Ward’s Farm Silver queen corn, soft polenta, fresh herbs and sauce périgeux.

Deux ave opening hours, address

Deuxave

371 Commonwealth Ave
Open for dinner Sunday-Wednesday 5-10pm, Thursday-Saturday 5-11pm

Restaurant Week: Rialto

Lingbo Li — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:44:00 +0000

Restaurant Week is sometimes a tricky proposition. What am I getting for my $33.09? What corners, or portion size, will the sous chef cut from my budget meal?

Will they serve me glorified roast chicken the size of a thimble with a side of potatoes little better than sustainably farmed mush? Will the waitress be overwhelmed that she does little more than briskly administer a few slices of fig bread before slapping down a platter of underseasoned steak, crying into her apron because 18% of 33.09 is um, not very much? Will I be dining with similar clueless plebes with undercultured palates?

At Rialto, I can assure you that at the very least, the first two are groundless. If the waiters felt tip-bereft, they didn’t show it.

Having dined here on a non-RW night, I can say that the service was actually better. Our waiters were charming, efficient, and when one diner requested a different dessert, the switch was made uber-graciously. Chef Jody Adams, whose visage graces the promo banner outdoors, even stopped by to chat. (She didn’t do that when I had considerably pricier meal.)

She explained that since Rialto offered didn’t offer their regular menu in addition to RW offerings, it meant more choices for diners. What ends up getting cut is fancier preparations and pricier ingredients. I could resist but ask how business was during the week so far (always looking for a food story to pitch, after all), and she said business was good. (Expected.)

All of that was true: the bread was not as fancy, nor the entrees as elaborately garnished, but it was a well-prepared and well-serviced, if not memorable, meal. The thing that I don’t like about RW is that the menus tend to be pretty safe, wheres I’m more, “Ooh! I’ve never had calf brain! Let’s get that!” There’s just no danger.

I organized this RW outing for the Harvard Culinary Society so I ended up dining with a group of friendly strangers. It turned out surprisingly pleasant, so thanks guys if you’re reading!

Spring green risotto

Not the most photogenic appetizer. I wished I had gotten the antipasti, which came looking luscious on a wooden slab. A decent risotto, presentation could definitely be more appealing though – a sprig of parsley or something on top perhaps? This just makes me think of that frozen vegetable mix that’s available in every grocery store. Not that it tasted like that.

Roasted whole trout, beans, peas, bacon

Yes, an entire roast trout with the head attached! Also conveniently deboned. Decent, but nothing too earth shattering. I also like my fish to be of the melt-in-your-mouth variety and far moister.

Orange panna cotta, orange almond cake

Probably my favorite part of the meal. I am definitely becoming more of a panna cotta fan.

Chocolate espresso torta, walnuts, bourbon cream

Here’s someone else’s dessert, which looked delicious.

And if you’re curious, or hungry, here’s their Restaurant Week menu:

FIRST

Hearty greens…caciotta cheese, walnuts, balsamic

Beet salad…baked ricotta, pistachios, oranges

Mushroom soup…horseradish cream, buttered croutons

Spring green risotto…asparagus, escarole, parsley

Antipasti… Parma prosciutto, walnuts, figs, shaved Grana Padana

SECOND

3 big spicy sweet potato ravioli…sage, brown butter, blood orange

Local catch…carrots, ginger, green onions, sesame

Roasted whole trout… beans, peas, bacon

Chicken…lemon, asparagus, potato fritters

Grilled flank steak…polenta, peppers, olives

DESSERT

Chocolate espresso torta…walnuts, bourbon cream

Pineapple sorbet…fresh raspberries, coconut rum sabayon, pineapple chips

Orange panna cotta…orange almond cake

Craigie on Main – Blood Sausage, Cock’s Comb, Stuffed Pig’s Foot

Lingbo Li — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:03:44 +0000

Chef Tony Maws made an appearance at my gluttonous, over-the-top meal at Craigie on Main. He arrived, without any fanfare, at the presentation of the 6th course of a 6 course meal (a 3 part dessert was still to come, but I didn’t know it at that point). He seemed a little tired – he worked as a line cook most of the week, after all – having just exited the carefully curated chaos of an open kitchen at Craigie’s new Central Square location. (Their vacated location in Harvard Square is now filled by Krista Kranyak’s second branch of Ten Tables.)

Over by the kitchen, dishes rested briefly under glaring spotlights before being snatched up by an army of servers.

“Two runners!” a cook barked, setting down a gorgeous presentation of three cheeses as another cook deftly wiped the plate rim clean.

Maws paused briefly by our table to explain our sixth course. He accessorized his chef whites with a two day stubble. No smile, all business. I tried to take notes, but he rattled off culinary terminology too rapidly and matter-of-factly, with no sense of the intimacy of his own knowledge. His world was Craigie, and he expected that it was mine as well.

Then he disappeared, swallowed by the tinny clangs and buttery aromas of the kitchen.

I had told the waiter to go crazy with bizarre ingredients, particularly strange animal parts. Maws suscribed to the local, organic, tail-to-nose school of cooking. I only made one request: the farro risotto with blood sausage.

So it wa a surprise when at this juncture, Maws unceremoniously presented us with a pig’s foot, bones and all, filled with a blend of pork and mushroom inside the skin.

It was creative, visually thrilling, and well-executed, but unfortunately, not my favorite of the bunch. I was still glowing from the obscenely delicious farro risotto (an unmitigated triumph), and the heaviness of the pork didn’t sit well. But other courses ranged from beautifully interesting to inspiring the kind of sensation that I live for: that moment, when upon first forkful, taste becomes a glorious, cosmic slap. Divinity. Taste buds serve double duty as an opera, a schoolboy choir.

That “oh my god” kind of revelation. What is this gorgeous stuff that I am eating?

And to think, it all started with three amuse bouches.

First, a geoduck (pronunciation: gooey duck) clam with orange coulis, florida pink salmon with radish and grapefuit, and finally, a house-cured greek sardine.

Then a light, fresh second course. Australian yellow tail and avocado. Like the coolness of spring and a summer morning by the sea.

After clearing our plates and delivering a new fork and knife, the waitress carted over a real knockout – melt-in-your-mouth miso black cod with crispy ginger salad. Probably the best fish I’ve ever had. It was so good I ate half of it before I realized I needed to photograph it. Unbelievably juicy, with a texture I didn’t know was achievable.

This was followed by a lull in the meal, with a well-done but forgettable tagliatelle, cockle shells, cured pork jowls (reminded me of the thin, sweet Chinese sausages my mother loved), and thistle.

Then another round of plate clearing, utensil switching, and a hint at what was to come.

“I think you’ll like the next course,” the waitress says, with a wicked gleam in her eye.

So this comes out: brilliantly done, unusual, and oh my god, was it tasty. Roasted farro, boudin noir (blood sausage), and cock’s comb risotto with a farm fresh egg lovingly dropped in the middle. She suggested we break it open and mix the yolk with the rest of the motley ingredients. It was pure heaven. The blood sausage was just right – earthy, out of the ordinary, but not overwhelming, and each bite revealed some new discovery. Ah, there’s the cock’s comb. Oh, mushrooms, with all their wonders of umami.

I wiped the plate down with a piece of bread since I was too embarrassed to lick the bowl. But I would have. I really would have.

Finally, it was when Maws appeared with the sixth course – the pork and mushroom stuffed pig’s foot. Described as a pork “mousse” it was a rich, carnivorous crowning touch.

tea infused pannacotta

Then began the dessert course. My friend tried to order hot chocolate when given the after dinner drinks menu, but was told by our completely charming waitress, “Don’t worry about that.”

She came back with two small, unremarkable glasses, filled with what looked like milk.

It was jasmine tea and rooibos infused pannacotta. Dessert is one of the best mediums of pleasure, since it is uniquely posed to distill a flavor into something purer than the original, then injecting it into a sexier medium. Like gelato. Or ice cream. Or pannacotta. Drinking jasmine or rooibos tea again will look like a weak watercolor in comparison.

Our desserts were a warm corn grits, hazelnuts, calaminthe ice cream…

… then a Valrhona chocolate terrine. Frighteningly intense, a mouthful brought on a “what did I get myself into” feeling, kind of like when commitmentphobic you realizes you’re utterly infatuated with the person you’re dating.

Finally, to cap it all off, we were handed an ancho chili and cardamom infused Valrhona hot chocolate.

Overall, the food was stunning, the decor modern and unpretentious, and I loved getting lost watching the open kitchen. The Asian female waitress was my favorite, but a different waiter bringing over every course created a lack of continuity. One waiter, in particular, was more terse than the rest, dropping off our dishes with the briefest of the introductions and no smile.

Despite those hiccups, service was charming. Dishes were well-paced. If you can do a 6 course at Craigie, go for it. It’ll be stunning, I promise.

Scenes from Boston’s Chinatown

Lingbo Li — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:09:44 +0000

their beady eyes were watching me

Carbs carbs carbs

better than a dollar menu.

Vegetarian beef: it's what's for dinner.

Spiny crabs?!!

Sweet Cupcakes to open in Harvard Square!!!

Lingbo Li — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:17:04 +0000

Read about it in the Crimson tomorrow.

EDIT: Here’s the link to the article I wrote. You can find now-opened Sweet at Zero Brattle Square in H Square. Try the red velvet!

Meanwhile, entertain yourself by looking at pretty pictures on their website. Here’s a sample:

3 Course Lunch at L’Espalier ($24!)

Lingbo Li — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:03:36 +0000

Beet mousse, parmesean crisp

Chicken, pomme puree, watercress, braised leek

Walnut brownie, vanilla ice cream

North End Scallops, Porter Sushi, Audio Slideshows: A busy weekend

Lingbo Li — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 06:57:25 +0000

FRIDAY

12:15pm: decide to drop Macroeconomics. Now I’m only taking four classes!

1:15pm: Run off with Crimson photographer to Second Time Around, Oona’s, and Great Eastern Trading Company to get audio and video for a slideshow. Photographer is unexpectedly hiliarious; storeowners are sometimes crazy/unstable.

4:30pm: Makeovers at the YWCA. Turns out the women are more impressed by my French manicure skillz than my artful eyeshadow application. I administer white tips on nails ragged, chapped, and worn down to their nubs. The women are very sweet. I am embarrassed by the state of my makeup collection, which is smeared in spilled bronze eyeshadow.

6:30pm: Stop at Kickass Cupcakes in Davis Square for some uh, kickass cupcakes as a birthday gift. I order four, with an extra for myself. I wolf down my mojito cupcake walking back to the T stop. The cream cheese frosting is cut the tang of lime and the center is soaked with rum – enough to warm my throat.

Kickass Cupcakes

10:30pm: Drop off birthday present. Present recipient is inebriated and proceeds to throw up twice, after which she feels better and munches on a corner of a Super Chocolate cupcake. The rest go in the fridge.

12:30pm: I am shooed off the table of of The Advocate by the DJ, who reminds me that it collapsed last time. Time for the Kong!

1am: Mmm, scallion pancakes and scorpion bowls. How much more classic can you get?

SATURDAY

2pm: Time to research in the North End for the Unofficial Guide. I have lunch at La Famiglia Giorgio, which is not really worth the shitty cellphone pictures I took of it. I nosh on lobster ravioli smothered in pink vodka cream sauce and scallop giorgio.

4:33pm: Woah, the Freedom Trail! Woah, tourists! Paul fucking Revere! This feels wrong, somehow. Kind of like touching John Harvard’s foot, you know?

Japanese love their tentacles

8pm: Valentine’s dinner, spontaneously found in Porter Square Exchange Mall at Blue Fin. Stop at Kotobukiya, a Japanese grocery, first.

Kotobukiya

Monkfish liver, duhhh (Does cooking use only mean that it can't be an organ transplant?)

Then, the actual meal, which was expansive, adventurous, and lovely.

Sashimi on a bed of natto (fermented soybean with a bizarrely sticky nature - picking it up results in cobweb-like strings trailing from bowl to plate)

Unagi, my favorite!

Valentine's day sushi platter... the rose stem to the left of the image was secured in a base of wasabi.

Donburi bowl, the roe is fun to eat.

SUNDAY

10am: Work out at the gym, which I’ve failed to do for longer than I’d have liked.

Noon: Do some hair and makeup for the Identities fashion show photoshoot. The nice thing about doing makeup, I’ve realized, is far from making you see all the flaws you should cover up, it makes you see all the little things that make someone beautiful.

Near the end, I hold down the fort while the models are off doing their hip hop shoot. I take photos of myself with my hairspray-assisted hairstyle.

Photobooth: sometimes better for boredom than Facebook.

2:30pm: Off to the Garment District and The Closet for more audio and photos for the audio slideshow with another photographer. This takes way too long.

Me standing in front of the Garment District's shocking pink storefront.

7pm: Crimson exec dinner. People give silly gifts, I watch passively, feel lonely, go back to Crimson and finish editing slideshow. It’s BALLER. Me and the editor do the crossfade. We add background noise. I do voiceovers. He records me screaming “fuck a duck!” incessantly. We laugh. We cry. We mock the interview subjects.

12:45am: Exit the Crimson. Finally.

Here is the fruit of my labor (plus 3 other dedicated people).

This took, uh, 10 solid hours of my life.